Ailines Operating In India Put On High Alert

On 22 January 2010 India’s Bureau of Civil Aviation Security put all airports and airlines operating in India on high alert after receiving reports from Western intelligence agencies of a potential plot to hijack an Air India aircraft. The threat involves flights within India, as well as flights to and from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar (Burma) and the Maldives. The report stated that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a Pakistan-based militant group, planned to carry out the hijacking, possibly in collusion with al-Qaeda. The government has posted additional air marshals on certain flights and has deployed more security forces to Indian airports. The threat has not prompted the suspension or cancellation of any flights, though travelers should anticipate more stringent security checks, including frisking, at Indian airports. Prior to the most recent warnings, the Indian government had already heightened security at important installations -- such as public transportation facilities and tourist sites -- throughout the country ahead of Republic Day on 26 January. The number of warnings about potential threats usually increases as important holidays approach. As a precautionary measure, travellers should exercise increased caution in crowded areas.